Americans in control after first day of President's Cup

NICK Price's Internationals were reeling after being towelled up by a more polished USA team which took a firm grip of the 11th Presidents Cup after the opening round foursomes in South Korea.

Some of the play by the Internationals at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon City bordered on embarrassing. That was the case for Aussie Marc Leishman and Kiwi Danny Lee who had trouble staying in the fairways and out of the water, drowning two balls on one hole as they crashed 4&3 to America's gun pairing of world No.1 Jordan Spieth and partner Dustin Johnson.

It wasn't any better for the unheralded pairing of India's Anirban Lahiri and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, crunched 5& 4 by Ricky Fowler and Jimmy Walker.

The only thing that saved the Internationals from a 5-0 whitewash on day one was the strong showing of South Africans Brenden Grace and Louis Oosthuizen. They were always in control of their clash with Matt Kuchar and Patrick Reed and ran out winners 3& 2.

Queensland teammates Jason Day (pictured) and Steven Bowditch hung in against the classy pairing of Phil Mikelson and Zach Johnson, who eventually took the match two up, while another Queenslander Adam Scott, who partnered Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, completed a horror opening day for Price by losing 3& 2 to Bubba Watson and late inclusion JB Holmes.

In the previous 10 Presidents Cups, the team leading after the opening foursomes has gone on to win eight times.